Wide area networks (WANs) that can be accessed wirelessly from homes and small offices are becoming increasingly popular. Such systems can offer a myriad of data services to subscribers including, for example, a relatively high speed connection to the Internet. Typically, a professional installation of transceiver and antenna equipment is required at the subscriber location to provide subscriber access to a WAN. During the installation process, a technician must first determine an appropriate mounting location for an antenna unit on the exterior of the subscriber's building and then perform a relatively complex antenna aiming procedure to ensure that the antenna is properly directed toward the WAN base station antenna. Transceiver equipment is then installed and cabling is run from the external antenna location to the location of the subscriber's communication equipment inside the building. This rather complicated setup procedure adds to the overall cost and complexity of providing WAN services and is relatively inefficient.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and apparatus that allows simplified installation and setup of a wireless subscriber terminal for use with a WAN or similar communication network. Preferably, the method and apparatus will allow a subscriber to perform the terminal setup without the need for a professional installer.